How does sugar affect our heart health?

What long-term effects can eating lots of sugar have on your heart?

Over time, regularly eating too much sugar can quietly increase the strain on your heart. While the effects aren’t always obvious straight away, they can build up over the years and raise your risk of serious heart-related conditions.

1. Increased risk of heart disease: Long-term high sugar intake can lead to ongoing low-grade inflammation and elevated blood pressure. Over time, this increases strain on the heart, forcing it to work harder and raising the risk of heart disease and related complications.
2. Raised LDL cholesterol levels: Diets that are high in sugar, especially refined sugars, can increase LDL (low-density lipoprotein) or ‘bad’ cholesterol and reduce HDL (high-density lipoprotein) or ‘good’ cholesterol, contributing to artery hardening and a greater risk of heart attacks and strokes.
3. Greater risk of weight gain and diabetes: Consistently consuming too much sugar can lead to weight gain and obesity over time. Higher body weight increases the risk of high blood pressure and cholesterol, while persistently raised blood sugar can cause insulin resistance and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
4. Higher risk of stroke and heart attacks: Strokes and heart attacks often occur when arteries become narrowed by fatty build-up, also called furring. High sugar intake can worsen key risk factors for furring, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking and family history. It can also raise triglycerides, contributing to artery narrowing and hardening.
5. Risks rise with age: As we get older, the effects of long-term dietary choices tend to accumulate in the body. For example, if you’re 60 and have had decades of a poor diet, this can significantly increase your risk of developing heart problems later in life.

Lifestyle changes that can help reduce the effects of sugar

Making changes to your diet and activity levels can play an important role in protecting your heart. Eating a balanced diet and limiting sugary foods and drinks can help keep your heart healthy. Government guidance recommends that adults should have no more than 30g of free sugars a day. If you’re trying to reduce added sugar, it can help to gradually cut back on sweet flavours.

Combine a healthy diet with regular exercise to strengthen your heart and lower your resting blood pressure over time. Getting around 150 minutes of exercise per week can also help burn fat and lower your cholesterol levels. If you have existing health concerns, it’s advisable to consult a healthcare professional before beginning an exercise regimen.

How can you check your heart health?

Fit and healthy people with no medical issues may wish to check their blood pressure and cholesterol once a year. However, if you have a history of high blood pressure or heart attacks in the family or are a smoker or diabetic, you should have it checked more frequently.